Nuh violence: High Court stays bulldozer action against illegal structures

On Monday, August 7, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the Haryana government’s demolition drive on the illegal encroachments being carried out by the Haryana administration after rioters unleashed violence in the Nuh district of Haryana on July 31 during the Jalabhishek Shobha yatra.

According to Live Law, a bench of Justice GS Sandhwalia passed orders to stay demolitions in Nuh until further orders. A notice has been issued to the state govt and the matter is to be heard again at 3 pm today.

#BREAKING Punjab and Haryana High Court takes suo motu cognizance of demolitions carried out by authorities in Nuh after communal violence.

Court stays all demolitions.#NuhViolence #Haryana pic.twitter.com/hAfg4UiC91

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) August 7, 2023

According to reports, Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata asked officials concerned to stop the bulldozer action following the high court ruling. Demolitions of illegal encroachments in Nuh continued for the fourth day on Sunday.

The HC passed these orders while taking suo motu cognizance of the demolition drive carried out by the state government after the Nuh violence. The court also questioned the Haryana government’s demolition drive launched after residents claimed they were not given any notice by the administration.

The local administration had, however, said they were taking action against illegal constructions and encroachment and no individual was being targeted.

“Demolition drive against illegal construction is underway and it will continue. Action is not being taken to target anyone. Our motive is to establish peace,” Khadgata said on Sunday, August 6.

Notably, the cracked down on the illegal encroachments of over 200 rioters began on the afternoon of Thursday, 3rd August 2023, three days after Islamists ran riots in the Nuh district of Haryana.

While adopting Yogi Adityanath’s signature bulldozer system, the local administration in Tauru in Nuh bulldozed 250 houses of illegal immigrants. Reportedly, many of them were part of the recent rioting in the Mewat region.

The encroachments had cropped up on Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land in the past 4 years and were mostly inhabited by illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Building from where stones were pelted during Nuh violence demolished as bulldozer action 

During the demolition drive, the state administration also demolished the three-story house which was used by the Islamist mob for stone pelting on Hindus. The video of several people pelting stones from the now-demolished house had gone viral on social media. 

Jai Shree Ram, Lalon ke Lal Manohar Lal ki Jai !

Bulldozer action in Nuh. The most wanted House which was used by rioters to pelt stones on Shobha Yatra identified & demolished by @mlkhattar government. pic.twitter.com/yNaQ0W8vsb

— Rahul Jha (@JhaRahul_Bihar) August 4, 2023

Nuh Shobha Yatra attack

On Monday, violence broke out in Haryana’s Nuh district during the ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra,’ which was organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The death toll from the clashes has now reached 6, including two personnel from the Haryana home guard. The deputy commissioner urged people to stay indoors, venture outside only for essential tasks, and disregard any circulating rumours.

Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Jalabhishek Yatra as Islamists unleashed violence against thousands of Hindus in the Muslim-dominated region of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana.